Shillong, Sept 07: They came, they were taller, bigger and laden with skills but alas they could not prevail over the perseverant lads with the pen. This was the story that unfolded Saturday at the JN Stadium when the Shillong Press Club football team took on the Adventurists team comprising representation from 23 countries.
Averaging at 6 feet, the visitors led by Tom Murray (England) playing great concerted football despite meeting each other for the first time (players introducing each other on the pitch) gave the journos a psychological nightmare with their menacing height, body weight and even football skills.
However, the local lads remained grounded and in their best ever display of football prowess playing as a well knit team, outwitted the visitors and succeeded in retaining the Shillong Shield won in April 2012, but not without several anxious moments.
Right from the first whistle, the game took off on a high pace with both teams playing clean dribble and short pass football. While the hosts tried their best to keep the ball on the ground, the visitors obviously knew an aerial game was their forte, but relentless attack like bees swarming a nest by the hosts led to Robert Nongkhlaw finding the back of the net of the visitors in the 29th minute.
Thereafter, followed an onslaught by the visitors who seemed determined to win back the shield they lost to SPC last year, and play after play ensued testing SPC goalie Jonathan Dhar to the hilt. Dhar despite his belly staved off as many as ten clear attempts by the visitors thanks to stoic defending by SPC captain Arnold Lanong and the backline consisting of Joe Thangkhiew, Kyrshan Wahlang and Paila Swer.
After the lemon break, the Adventurists returned with a vengeance eager to equalize and win back the ‘Shillong Shield’, deploying their best players (they were about 60 in all) and many in the SPC camp missed heartbeats like a runaway steam engine. Persistence pays and so it was when in the 70th minute, Dash Mason (England) restored parity forcing the two teams to vide for the Shield via tie breaker.
While the SPC custodian managed to save Dave’s shot; Dash and Jonathan (all from England), Kjetil and Anders (both from Norway) shook the net effortlessly. It was not meant to be so for Hamish (N. Ireland) however, as SPC’s Robert, Aditya, Alemon, Rining and Joe hit bullseye securing victory for the hosts.
The after match was short and sweet with SPC president David Laitphlang felicitating the runners up with medals and a trophy while Adventurist team leader Matt Dickens garlanded the SPC team with medals and handed over the winner’s trophy.
As a gesture of goodwill and support to the endeavour of SPC in welcoming the visitors to the State, the medals and trophy were gifted by the Government of Meghalaya through the East Khasi Hills District Sports Officer. (SP News)
